Recalculating.....

re·cal·cu·late:
To calculate again, especially in order to eliminate errors or to incorporate additional factors or data.

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New Years Eve- It's the time I set aside to re-set or "re-calculate" my life's GPS, to take a closer look at how I can insure more efficient travel, to stay on track and avoid personal traffic jams , and construction delays, while on this day to day journey.

I wonder what this past year has been like for you? I wonder if you've enjoyed your 2009 trip, or if after making some wrong turns you find yourself more than ready to "recalculate" the journey into a new year.

2009 has been a real growth year for me personally, with some breakthroughs that I have been striving for, for quite a while now. It’s been a good year, but I can’t wait. It's not that self reflection can't occur at any other time, it's just that I love New Years Eve. It just feels so much like a fresh start for me.

On New Year’s Eve I make a night of it. My annual tradition for the past 5 or 6 years has been to buy some fun “grazing” foods, grapes, pita, humus, cheese, shrimp, and a good wine and I spend the evening at home alone. I slip into my sweats and slippers, put on some relaxing instrumental music, and light my candles for a cozy spiritual retreat. I like to make time to journal, and prayerfully reflect and examine the past year, areas of growth, successes, challenges and even failures.

Socrates said “An unexamined life is not worth living.” I think that there is an awful lot of truth in that! Because I so desire to live an intentional life, I purpose to take a look at least annually, at my gifts, talents and even limitations, and prayerfully seek God about how He would choose for me to specifically invest my life in the next year. While some things are not negotiable, and God’s Word is clear about how He would have us live on the major issues, His grace offers us so much freedom that I feel I need to seek His wisdom on how to be the best steward of my time talents and treasures.

I am very aware of the danger in this process for me. If I am not careful there is the potential for getting too introspective and self-critical. People that know me well, know this about me too. While a fearless moral inventory is helpful when reflecting, if not balanced can actually be counter-productive. I just ran across a quote that resonated with me tonight in this regard.

We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential. ~Ellen Goodman

I encourage you to take some time to celebrate the successes of your past year as well as as to acknowledge the areas that tripped you up. God's GPS permits recalculations and U-turns, so don't be afraid to make some time to prayerfully bring these before God, and plan with His help to address them, learn from them, and then finally to head out confidently into 2010 with His GPS in clear view on your dashboard!

I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your statues.
Psalm 119:59

Until Next Time,
Peggy